When I began my career, like many of us, I was thrown into the deep end of the media relations pool.

The expectation, of course, was if I could create relationships with journalists, I’d eventually be able to do the same with the executives within our office, and finally with the executives at our client’s offices.

To do that (and to be seen as someone who was motivated, driven, and promotable), I spent many years cultivating relationships with journalists: Getting to know their beats, understanding what they would or wouldn’t cover, and even knowing when they celebrated their birthdays so I could send a card or cupcakes or booze.

And then 2008 hit. Newspapers folded, popular magazines went under, and a lot of my friends – those I’d known for more than 10 years – lost their jobs.

Suddenly the journalists who were left had to cover automakers, small business, and manufacturing…even though small business might have been their only beat previously.

They were too busy to take phone calls or go on media tours or even sit with you for an hour to talk about what you had upcoming.

And the role of a communications professional changed, when it came to media relations. (more…)